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False Claims Link West Bengal Rally to Bihar Post-Election Protests
A viral video purportedly showing massive protests in Patna against “vote theft” following Bihar’s 2025 Assembly elections has been debunked as false, according to an investigation by Vishvas News.
The footage, which shows thousands of people gathering on streets, has been circulating widely on social media with claims that it depicts unrest in Bihar’s capital after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) victory and Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in as Chief Minister for a second term.
However, fact-checkers have confirmed the video actually shows a rally in Kolkata, West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on November 4, 2025. The demonstration was organized to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, not election results in Bihar.
The investigation began after an Instagram user, identified as sranjan.01, posted the video on November 17, 2025, with the caption “VoteTheft Rally in Patna City.” The account, which has approximately 300 followers, helped spread the misleading narrative that gained traction in the days following Bihar’s election results.
Using reverse image search tools, Vishvas News traced the original footage to the official Trinamool Congress (TMC) YouTube channel. The video was published on November 5, 2025, as a promotional teaser for Banerjee’s November 4 rally against the SIR process. The complete footage of the event was also available on the same channel.
Multiple news outlets, including India Today, had reported on Banerjee’s protest march through Kolkata on November 4, further confirming the video’s true origin. JK Vajpayee, West Bengal Bureau Chief of Dainik Jagran, also verified to Vishvas News that the footage was indeed from Kolkata.
This incident highlights a growing trend of political misinformation following election results in India, where authentic footage is repurposed with false claims to create narratives of public unrest or dissatisfaction with electoral outcomes.
The 2025 Bihar Assembly elections were closely contested, with the NDA securing victory and Nitish Kumar returning as Chief Minister. While the elections naturally generated political debate, there have been no verified reports of mass protests in Patna of the scale depicted in the viral video.
Digital media experts point out that such misleading content tends to proliferate during politically sensitive periods, requiring heightened vigilance from both social media platforms and users. Most platforms have implemented fact-checking mechanisms, but the spread of misinformation often outpaces verification efforts.
The incident serves as a reminder for social media users to verify information from multiple credible sources before sharing politically charged content, especially during election periods when tensions and stakes are high.
For context, the SIR process in West Bengal has been a contentious issue, with the Trinamool Congress government raising concerns about potential voter disenfranchisement, which prompted Banerjee’s rally that was later miscaptioned and shared with false claims.
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5 Comments
This is a valuable lesson in the importance of verifying information before sharing it. We must be vigilant against the proliferation of false narratives, especially around important political events.
This highlights the need for caution when consuming information online. We should always verify claims, especially those related to sensitive political events, before believing or sharing them.
It’s good that the Disinformation Commission is actively working to debunk these false claims. Maintaining the integrity of the political process is critical for a healthy democracy.
Interesting to see the fact-checking on this claim about the Kolkata rally being mislabeled as a Bihar protest. It’s important to verify these types of viral claims before spreading them further.
I appreciate the thorough investigation into the origins of this video. It’s concerning to see misinformation spreading so quickly on social media. Fact-checking is crucial to combat the spread of false narratives.